Building construction



D. H. BURNHAM.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8 1918.

Paiented Jan. 31, 1922.

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D. H. BURNHAM.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8, 1918.

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STATES- DANIEL H. BIJ'RNHAM, F EVANSTON, ILLINOIS.

PATE

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

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Application filed May 8,

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, DANIEL H. BUnNHAM, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Evanston, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in BuildingConstruction, of which the following-is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The invention relates to buildings and more particularly to buildingthat are spean improved building, which is so con structed that the loadof the vehicles will be sustained in substantial entirety by beams andgirders or a skeletom'zed structure. In other words, a construction inwhich the load is imposed directly'upon the beams and girders, asdistinguished from a floor, and in which the fioor, if desired, mayconsist of a thin sheathing just suflicient to serve as a closure andfire retardant but insufficient to perform any active function insustaining the load.

A further object .of the invention is to provide animproved constructionand arrangement which permits the maximum number of automobiles to bestored in a building and by which the removal of the cars may befacilitated.

The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter setforth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a. plan of one floor of a building embodyingthe invention. Fig. 2 is a detail section crosswise of the tracks. Fig.3 is a section of the floor lengthwise .of the tracks. Fig. 1 is asection on line 44 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a plan of a portion at the endof a floor.

The invention is shown as applied to a building having outer walls 6 andof any suitable" cons ru tion, stairways 7, and a Specification ofLetters Patent.

,crossed tracks similarly formed Patented Jan. 31,

1922.. 1913. Serial No. 233,223.

pair of elevator shafts 8, disposed centrallv at each end of thebuilding. These elevators are adapted to bring the vehicles to any floorof the building. The elevator shafts are surrounded by a suitablefireproof wall 9, and have openings therein so that a vehicle may bedriven oil either elevator to either end thereof, and from theseopenings lead grooved tracks 12 for a vehicle of the standardtread,Which merge into a cross-track 11 parallel to the ends of thebuilding and which extend between a series of turn-"tables 13. There isone pair of tracks 12 merging into a crosstraok and a series ofturn-tables 13 adjacent each end of each pair of elevators, so that fromeither of the elevators a vehicle may be driven transversely of thebuilding. A track 14 leads from the inner elevator of each pair to oneof a series of turn-tables 15 which are disposed inwardly of theelevators so that the space at that point can be utilized and to provideaccess to all of the space extending longitudinally between the,

elevators at one end of those at the other. A cross-track 16 connectsthe turn-tables 15. The tracks 12, 10, 14 and 16 are formed by groovesproperly spaced apart to receive the wheels of the vehicle and toconfine them to the track. The turntables 13 and 15' areprovided with bygrooves. Between each pair of turn-tables, there is formed a pair oftracks 17 and 18 which merge at their ends where'they connect with theturn-tables, so that from one turn-table a vehicle may be driven intoeither of the longitudinal tracks or so that the vehicle may be drivenfrom'either of the longitudinal tracks onto the turn table. Longitw'dinal tracks 19 and 20 extend between the turn-tables 15 and each pairof these tracks merge at either end so that a vehicle may be driven fromeither turn-table onto either of the longitudinal tracks or from eitherof said tracks onto a turn table.

The invention is embodied in a reinforced concrete structure comprisingcolumns 22, reinforced concrete beams or girders 23, 24, extendingcontinuously and longitudinally of the building.v In the end portions ofthe building where the turn-tables and merging track terminals arelocated, a. reinforced flat slab of concrete is formed of suflicient thebuilding and strength to sustain the load and is extendedlongitudinalbeams 24 in which are formed grooves 26 to form the tracks and the crossbeams or girders 24 which are supported b the columns. The columnscontain suitable column reinforcement 27. The beams 24 contain thebottom -reinforcing rods 28 and the column-head reinforcement 29.

The beams 23 contain the continuous bottom reinforcement 30, the toprods 21, extending H beyond the point of counterflexure and the rods 32to take the shearing stresses of the beam between the columns. Thisexempllfies a construction in which they tracks are formed in concretegirders which are supported entirely by beams, so that concrete slabsand reinforcement are dispensed with.

In practice, it is sometimes desirable to provide a closure between thebeams and for this purpose a thin sheathing 33 may be laid between thegirders and on the beams. This may consist ofwooden strips or expandedmetal lath covered with concrete.

The supporting slabs 25 at the ends of the building are extended, as at35, to include the area in which the merging tracks communicating withthe turn tables 14 are lo cated.

In: practice, the tracks next to the sides of the building are keptclear and used as aisles for the removal of vehicles and suchintermediate tracks as may be found necessary or desirable may also beused as aisles and kept clear of vehicles, as indicated in Fig. 1. Ifdesired, fire-Walls 36, provided with doors 37, may be provided todivide the space into separate rooms.

Any number of floors may be provided of the same construction.

In use, the vehicles may be driven from one of the elevators into one ofthe cross tracks 10 and thence to the turn-table connecting with thelongitudinal track on which it is desired to place or store the vehicle.This may be continued until all of the longitudinal tracks, except thosereserved for. aisles, have been filled. For the purpose of movingvehicles transversely from one of the longitudinal tracks to an aisle, ahoist 40 is provided which is mounted on a carriage 41 which is adaptedto travel on a transverse I-beam 42, there being one of suchbeams and acarriage hoist for each transverse row of vehicles which the building isadapted to contain. For example, if it should be desired to remove thecar marked X without ahead or behind it, the hoist will be applied tothis car so as ters Patent, is

moving the cars and then the'carriage 41 can be pushed to a point overthe outermost track, which is used as an aisle, and then the vehicle canbe lowered into the aisle track and driven onto a turn table, thenceinto a cross-track 10 to one of the elevators. If it should be desiredto remove acar on one of the tracks which is not immediately adjacentoneof the aisle tracks, for example the car X; the car X may be firstlifted onto the aisle track and then moved longitudinally toclear theway for the transverse removal of the car X into the aisle track andafter removal of that car, the car-X may be put back in of vehicles andin which the entire load is supported mainly in or on the tracks formedon or by reinforced concrete beams in such a manner that concretesupporting slabs be-' tween the beams are dispensed with. Also one inwhich the maximum number of vehicles may be stored and in whichprovision is made for facilitating the removal of the vehicles.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details setforth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appendedclaims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Let- 1'. In a building for the storage of vehicles, thecombination of a supportlng structure provided with elevated, reinforcedbeams and a series of longitudinal tracks on said beams, a series ofturn-tables at one end of the tracks, the adjoining pairs of trackshaving mergin terminals communicating with one termma a cross-track fordelivering vehicles to the turn-tables, and means for deliveringvehicles to the cross-track.

2. Ina building for the storage of vehicles, the combinatlon of asupporting structure provided with a series of longitudinal 3. In abuilding of the character described,

the combination ofa continuous floor slab of reinforced concrete, aturn-table in said slab, parallel storage tracks connected with saidturn-table and reinforced concrete beams adapted to support the trackswithout anintermediate slab, said beams extending away from the slab.

to lift it out of the week u 4. lilabuilding of the character d scribed,

Leoaese the combination of a continuous floor slab of reinforcedconcrete extending across each end of a building, a turn-table 1n eachslab, parallel tracks connected with said turntables and reinforcedconcrete beams adapted to support the tracks without an intermediateslab extending between the slabs.

5. In a building of the character described, the combination ofelevators at the ends of the building, cross-tracks connecting with theelevators respectively, turn-tables connecting with the cross-tracks, aseries of parallel girders, tracks on said girders and extending betweenthe ends of the building and connecting with the turn-tables andadditional turn-tables disposed inwardly of the elevators andlongitudinal tracks connecting with said latter turn tables, saidgirders being adapted to support the loaded tracks without supportingslabs therebetween.-

6. In a building of the character described, the combination ofelevators at the ends of the building, cross-tracks connecting with theelevators respectively, turn-tables connecting with the cross-tracks, aseries of parallel girders, tracks on said girders and extending betweenthe ends of the building and connecting with the turn tables, andadditional turn-tables disposed inwardly of the elevators andlongitudinal track having merging terminals connecting with said latterturn-tables, said girders being adapted to support the loaded tracksWithout supporting slabs therebetween.

DANIEL I-I. BURNHAM.

